


Program Fatherhood: Installing...

by Sunshineyr



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor wants to be a dad, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, F/M, Family, Medical Procedures, Mentions of Needles and Fertility Injections, Now featuring a B-Plot!, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pregnancy, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-06-09 17:46:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15272889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshineyr/pseuds/Sunshineyr
Summary: Despite being virtually indistinguishable from a human, Connor feels incomplete. There are just some things an android cannot do, but when the man who seemingly defied God repays his debts, Connor feels a little closer to human after all.Alternatively titled: "Connor wants to bust a human nut," or "Science doesn't work like that."





	1. Short Beginnings

There was always something he couldn’t give to you.

Connor was perfect, in almost every way. He’d heard you say that multiple times, but he knew that it wasn’t true, because as human as he’d become… he wasn’t a biological creation. He was an android, and as real as his skin felt to your hands, what laid beneath would never be the same as yours.

No matter how many breaths he drew in, or how he’d felt his pump circulate his thirium volume, he wasn’t the same as you. Your breaths were purposeful, as they supplied your body with oxygen, and yet it captivated him to watch your chest rise and fall as you slept. It was such a simple thing, but so incredibly vital to your existence.

He’d never forget the way your breathing paused the moment he first held your hand, or the sound of your heart pounding when you confessed you loved him.

Despite it all, there was still one thing he’d never be able to do, and it hurt more than anything.

* * *

“Good morning,” he whispered your name against your shoulder, pressing kisses to your skin. “It’s not going to rain today.”

You grumbled into your pillow, turning slightly only to find his face hanging over yours. You blinked a few times, rolling onto your back as he sat back beside you. “That’s always good.”

“Based off the DPD’s data, that means active crimes will decrease by one-point-eight percent, so I took the day off.” You pushed yourself up and stretched, as his hand cupped your cheek. You rubbed one of your eyes, checking him with the other. He’d already changed out of his sleepwear, you noticed, and seemed ready to go somewhere.

“So, what’re you doing today?” You glanced down at his sweater, tugging at a loose piece of fuzz.   
  
“I have an appointment at Cyberlife, and I’d like for you to come with.” He smiled and shrugged his shoulders slightly. His body language was still a little stiff after all these months, but it had been getting a little better. “It’s important you do, actually.”

“Oooh, are you getting a new LED upgrade?!” You joked, having read about some of the new biocomponents. “I hope you’re not getting the taser nipples.” 

“No,” he shook his head while chuckling slightly, “I need to talk to someone about one of their new experiments, but they might need you to sign off on it.”

You swung your legs off the bed, looking at Connor in the reflection of your vanity. “That’s weird. What is it, exactly?”

The android blushed, avoiding your gaze slightly. “They needed androids with human partners, so I volunteered us.”

You turned around quickly, crossing your arms. “Are they doing cyborg experiments or something?”   
  
“Better. At least… I think it’s better than robotic limbs.” 

You reached out and grabbed his hand, relishing in the warmth of it. “Connor, seriously… do you know what they’re testing?” A small wave of worry filled your face, wondering just what he’d signed up for.

Connor looked down at your hand, rubbing his thumb against it. “Remember when I talked about our future?” He glanced back up at you, concerned. “I’m not sure about the specifics, but Cyberlife wants to meet with android and human couples to talk about family planning. They’re working on a reproductive cell donor program, I think.” You stood up and headed towards your closet, trying to think of a good response, while he continued. “They think it’s possible to engineer sample cells, removing the genetic DNA and modifying it.”

“They want to reprogram sperm? Is that what you’re saying?” You rifled through your clothes, aimlessly.

“Yes, I think so.” He smiled, standing and wrapping his hands around your waist from behind. “They could make it possible for us to have a baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank the "Detroit Police Department" Discord Serve and especially user TomoFire for the idea involving taser nipples. They're truly the backbone of this work if I'm being honest.


	2. Chasing Cars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thank you all so much for the love and support on the first chapter, I can't believe the response! Just so you know, I referenced the song "Chasing Cars" here, which is so cliche it kills me inside a little, but it seemed so appropriate I had to leave it in the chapter. More notes at the end!

Connor wasn’t troubled by visiting Cyberlife towers every month, seeing as how nearly half a year ago he’d make the trip every few days, but now it had a different feeling entirely. Before, he’d been led to the rooms by armed guards, and now he was free to enter without any concern.

During his most recent visit, the building did seem to have a bit more commotion in the halls, especially as he entered the floor of his technicians’ office. He told you there was an android guard waiting for him when he arrived, who escorted Connor through the hall, past a swarm of reporters. His picture was taken, but never showed up in the news.

“I didn’t know why they’d all be there, but when I walked in, it all made sense.” He paused, now rubbing the inside of your palm. “Elijah was there, waiting for me. He wanted to make sure I was in working order, and talk to me. He asked me if there was anything he could do within the company, something to help me. He’d already worked with Markus and North on some new bio-components for improving our synthetic nervous systems, but he wanted to know what he could do for me.”

“What did you say?” You look up from your lap, wondering just how he’d brought the subject up.

He shook his head slightly. “I told him about us, and how some androids were wanting to start families. He just gave me a weird look, before mentioning ‘sperm banks exist for a reason, just get her inseminated.’ But-”

“But... what?” you bit the inside of your lip, “isn’t that what we’ve been considering all along?”

He shuffled, before standing up. “I don’t know. I told him that it didn’t feel right.” He paced back in forth at the foot of your bed, hands crossed over his chest. “That it felt disconnected from me, that I had trouble accepting a random man would be the biological father. I just… I told him that I wouldn’t want just anyone being the donor, that it would have to be someone we trusted. He offered to give his own sample, but that’s not what I meant.” He looked so distraught, rambling about it all.

“Connor,” you stood up and grabbed his wrists and pulling him to your level, trying to pry his attention away from his insecurities, “we’ve talked about this.”

He sighed, standing straighter. “I know.” He sat back on the foot of your bed, trying to come up with a better way to explain. “He asked me why it bothered me so much, and I told him the truth. He was… intrigued.”

“What did you tell him?” Your voice came out more strained than usual, concerned about what exactly Connor said. This wasn’t a close friend, and he even struggled to tell Hank about it when you’d all sat down.

“That I didn’t want to see some other man getting you pregnant. That I wanted it to be my baby, our child.” He was shaking now, and you pulled his hands away from his face, kneeling in front of him. “I c- that it killed me inside that I’m not capable of doing the one thing humans can do that I can’t. That you- you deserve a man who can give you everything, and that I’m not him.”

“Connor!” You stood, lightly shaking his hands again to gain his attention, not that raising your voice didn’t help. “It doesn’t- I love you, and that’s enough for me.”

His eyes met yours slowly, lightly pulling you to lean on his lap. “He told me that he’d let me know if he came up with something. Anything he could do, he’d look into it for me.” He wrapped an arm across your back, shaking his head again. “And he left me a message last night.”

His other hand opened in between you both, displaying a frame of Kamski at his desk.

**_"Connor, bring your girlfriend to see me tomorrow. I think I can help you with that little issue of yours.”_ **

“It was sent at two in the morning.” He chuckled, you could only imagine what spurred an epiphany that late at night.

“Did he send anything else?” You tried to tread lightly, not wanting to get your own hopes up too much.

“Nothing. An email to confirm his timing, but that’s it.” He closed his palm, as you moved to stand up, watching you walk back to your own closet again.

You chewed on the inside of your cheek, pulling out a nicer shirt to wear. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to see what he has to say.”

* * *

It was surprisingly sunny outside, for once. Connor wasn’t wrong about how beautiful of a day it was, which only felt like a sign, even if it shouldn’t.

The drive out of town was also really smooth, but the long bridge spanning from the mainland to Cyberlife was still out in the distance a bit. Thankfully you and Connor were able to get a self driving ride, so you laid with your head against his shoulder. You peeked outside the car, to see the leaves shining in the light.

Connor’s light humming stopped, as he licked his bottom lip. “I… I think I know what you’re thinking.”   
  
“Hmm?” You lifted up slightly, as he intertwined your fingers.

“It’s somehow too perfect. All too good to be true.” He ran the statistics in the back of his mind, wondering just how likely it all was. “I want to believe it… but I don’t know.”

You held on just a little tighter at that. “If it isn’t… we have options.”

“I know,” he paused, looking out his own window as you crested a hill, “we could always adopt. At any given time, there’s twenty infants being born who will be put into foster care or adoption in Michigan.”

“Really?” You shifted again, looking up as if you could run the numbers in front of your face.

“No… I was trying to simplify it all.” He felt odd having lied to you, but he couldn’t keep his own composure if he’d told you the truth. You knew the reality, even if there were twenty being born at this very moment, who would approve you two adopting? “It’s still an option, though.”

“We don’t need a child to be happy. It’d be nice,” you admitted, “but really, we don’t need anything. I have you, and that’s enough.” Heat rose in your cheeks, while a tear welled up in his own eyes.

“Let’s just keep our hopes at a manageable level…” he whispered, humming yet again. He thought back to a song you’d mentioned once, talking about songs your parents generation loved. “I need your grace to remind me to find my own.” You chuckled a little, recognizing his little reference.

“All that I am,” you played along, “and all that I ever was… it’s here, in your perfect eyes. They’re all I can see.” You sighed, recognizing the tune as somewhat of a lullaby. “That was old and cliche, even back then. If we ever, y’know… have a kid, you’ve gotta sing it to them.”

“I have access to almost every song ever written, you know.” He smiled a little at the idea. “I’ll find something far more sweet to sing to our little one.”

“One day.” You peered out the windows once again, to find the bridge not too far off. “Maybe one day soon, Connor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this next little chapter!
> 
> I'm not too sure how often I'll be uploading, but unlike previous works of mine, I hope to have one out every other day or so. Today's upload was a gift because I wasn't expecting my work to blow up so fast over 24 hours! Thank you all again, hope to see you guys again in a few days for Chapter 3!


	3. An Eventful Morning at Cyberlife Tower

As soon as you stepped out of the car, you couldn’t help but to join Connor in scanning the height of the building. It seemed impossibly tall, even if the early morning fog clung into low-hanging clouds and obscured where Cyberlife tower ended. “I’ve never actually seen how tall it was before.”

Connor lowered a hand across your back, resting it against your other hip. “There’s at least a hundred total levels, if you count the different viewing levels at the very top. I’ve heard it’s the coolest spot to see all of Detroit. Want to see it?”

You thought about it for a moment, before shaking your head. “I’m getting dizzy just standing here,” his face contorted a little, and you smiled again, “but if you want to see it, I’ll go with you.” His feet moved a little in a mock-happy dance, and you couldn’t help but laugh. “God, you’re a dork!”

* * *

The entire building was so beautiful, you couldn’t stop pointing at the architecture and whispering to Connor at the little intricate twists and turns of metal and glass. How it didn’t all crumble under the weight, you couldn’t quite figure out, but loved it all nonetheless.

Even the elevators were built with glass panels, and you couldn’t help but run your fingers against the surface, only to see it didn’t pick up your fingerprints either. If you closed your eyes, you couldn’t even feel the elevators movement under your feet… and it was all official: this building was just expensive enough to feel upsetting.

“Isn’t it cool?” Connor whispered to you, motioning to the panel under your hand. He looked back and forth awkwardly, knowing the ride could be a while, but not finding any small talk he could say. “I think the floors are coated in the same material.”

You nodded, wondering just how he’d know that of all things. Watching as the fountain on the main floor seems to disappear, you wondered just where Kamski would hold this meeting. Fortunately it wasn’t too much longer before the elevator doors slid open again, given the speed it moved. Sitting there, across from the doors, was someone you vaguely recognized, but Connor seemed to know.

“Hello Connor! Is this your girlfriend?” Her hand reached out to grab yours, with a sincere smile spreading across her cheeks. He nodded, and she shrugged her shoulders slightly with excitement. “Hi! I’m Chloe, Mr. Kamski’s assistant. I’m so pleased to meet you. Connor has told me so much about you!”

“Oh, thank you… My name’s-” She shushed you, shaking her head slightly.

“We have to hurry, Elijah is very eager to see you both…” She motioned for you to follow her before walking backwards down the hall. “Personally,” she paused, looking over her shoulders to make sure she was out of earshot of anyone, despite the empty hallway, “You two are going to change a lot of lives, human and android. Elijah wants to focus on creating synthetic wombs in the future, should this project work out so well. I’d like to test that out, myself.”

“Chloe,” Connor mentioned, “how are you enjoying deviancy?”

“It was lonely, seeing the androids leave Elijah and I behind, but they had their own lives to discover. I was content with staying, seeing as he’s changed slightly since the revolution. He’s more kind, and has apologized to me about the gun ‘Kamski Test’ incident.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Chloe turned again, stopping suddenly. “This must be our stop?” Connor questioned her, as she pointed towards the correct door.

“Yep!” She opened the door for us both, curtsying to you as you entered before following closely behind.

* * *

Of all the things you’d been expecting when you met Elijah Kamski, this was not one of them. Of course, you should’ve known he’d go out and do something so extravagant, but this? This was excessive.

At least Connor seemed to enjoy looking at the fish tank, watching the little eggs bob along the artificial shoreline while the fish swam around.

“So, what do you think?” Elijah stood just a foot or so behind you, watching as Chloe made faces into the tank, giggling as she did so. It was actually sweet, seeing her excited.

You looked around slightly uncomfortable, unsure of how to approach this all. “It’s-I don’t really know. I’m assuming you’re making a point, right?”

“That I am. You should take a look, tell me what you all see.” You walked up to the tank, looking over to all the fish, mildly confused.

“There’s fish. What species, Connor?”

“Symphysodon, or the Discus Cichlid.” He stood to meet you, wondering just why the fish species would matter.

You pointed to the small eggs, trying to see anything worth note. “They’ve laid eggs, but I can’t tell if they’re fertilized or not.”

“They aren’t,” Connor noted, pointing, “there don’t appear to be any males in the tank either.”

“Thank you.” Elijah pointed to the eggs, and the distance being kept between them and the fish. “Some species don’t sexually reproduce, or have offspring through other means. These fish lay their eggs, and male fish fertilize the eggs later on.” He motioned for you to follow him yet again, walking through one lab to another, with microscopes ready to be viewed and a table to sit at.

You walked up to the first eyepiece, before peering in to see a small circle. “That’s an egg,” you whispered, before moving to the next microscope, “and those are sperm. Live ones.”

Connor looked in behind you, and whispered to you. “Look at ‘em go!”

You sat down and Connor sat beside you, reaching out to hold your hand. He was slightly shaking, with anticipation you hoped.

A small display screen popped up off the table, displaying an image of swimming sperm cells.

“These,” Kamski pointed to the left side of the screen, “are not regular sperm. These are some of the first test subjects Cyberlife has been working with on your behalf.” The slide changed, a magnified still of one filling the screen. “This was one of the first batch of swimmers that didn’t die after our testing.”

Again, the screen changed, showing two sperm side by side. “Do you see the difference?” Connor whispered to you, squinting at the screen himself.

There was something different between the two. What looked like an actual speck of dust filled the left panel, with the one on the right being hollow. “What is that?”

“That,” Elijah pointed out, “is a living sperm cell with zero genetic DNA. It’s been removed, and when lab tested with certain donor eggs, the resulting DNA combines to be a perfect copy of the ovum.” He smiled, looking over the projector.

“The DNA’s just… gone?” You whispered, thinking aloud.

“Yes,” Connor whispered back, before whipping around to Kamski quickly, “how did the embryos do?”

“Nearly all of them survived, and grew.” Your mouth dropped, unsure of what to say. Kamski chuckled a little, watching on as you processed what this all meant.

You didn’t know what to say.

“That’s not even the best part, is it?” Connor spoke up for you, knowing this wasn’t everything.

“No, because this is.” The slide changed to a picture of another sperm cell, with the speck returned. “That’s not the original DNA strand. That’s a new strand of DNA, programming with traits like brown hair, brown eyes, pale white skin… that’s Connor’s simulated DNA strand.”

You looked back at him, his eyes watering again.

The silence was killing you, looking back between Connor, Elijah, and the screen, unsure where to land. It felt like an actual eternity, had Connor never removed his LED, you imagine it’d be spinning yellow at the moment.

“What do we need to do?”

* * *

The plan was relatively simple. A few carefully scheduled pills, one precisely timed injection, and then one small procedure.

There was really nothing to be afraid of. Two needles total, one was fairly manageable, the other you’d never actually have to see. You’d be sedated for that second one, anyways. Nothing to worry about, except the timing. Seeing as Connor had already shot off an email to your boss explaining you’d be needing time off, the plan has set into motion.

First, Kamski explained, you’d need to sign all the needed waivers. Then see a doctor for exams and to start your medication. You’d be taking hormones to increase the amount of eggs your body produces, before having them all extracted. Then the first hard step would be done.

“We need as many eggs as possible, as we can only create so many modified sperm cells. The more eggs and sperm, the more possible healthy little embryos!” Chloe explained to you, trying to make the whole process more clear, seeing as Elijah didn’t want to explain.

The more they talked, the more complicated it all became. Drugs, removal of eggs while you’re not aware of it, scientists introduce some of the genetically modified sperm, then you insert a few of the embryos and hope for the best... it really wasn’t that difficult, was it?

“Can we have a few minutes?” You silently thanked Connor for helping you out of the room you’d felt trapped in. Two hours ago you had no clue what you were going to do on your day off, and now you’re hearing about picking out your future babies like looking on cars on a lot.

It was all too much, and he could tell.

“I have an idea.”

“Just one?” He smiled at your reply before holding out his open palm, which is an invitation you’d be rude not to accept.

* * *

  
Could androids have an irrational fear, like acrophobia?

The answer right now has to be no, or at least Connor didn’t have it.

Seeing as he was currently close enough to the glass dome of the building he could press his whole face against it, you’d have to say no. The human fear of heights was very real, so you chose to stay behind the safe areas where you couldn’t see the overhanging edge, or the fact that Connor was standing on it.

He turned back to you, sitting beside you on a bench among the small center garden of the atrium. Sitting here, you could see the tops of buildings and hills, but not much more than those and the clouds.

“So…” He mumbled, still a bit star-gazed from the view.

“Yeah…” You replied in kind, playing with a small ball of fuzz sticking to your pants like it’s the most interesting toy in existence.

The silence of sitting among the clouds, shoulders touching with the soft sounds of a little water fountain filling the space, it was peaceful. Something the world around you hadn’t grasped yet.

He opened his mouth to say something, but paused and closed it, clearing choosing to stay silent. You didn’t have the willpower. “I can’t believe it’s real. It’s actually possible, and we could start the process today, if we wanted to.”

You looked down, and sighed, as your shirt likely wouldn’t ever fit this way again. You pressed a hand against your stomach, and closed your eyes. “One day I’ll feel the flutter. The tiny heartbeat, then the movement, then the kicking and shifting around. The feet pressing into my ribs will be equal parts you and I, it’ll be yours.”

His hand cupped your own, despite there not being a presence within you just yet. “Ours.” You opened your eyes to him, and...

 _There it was._ That look- the one you couldn’t help but fall a little in love with him for, and swore you’d do anything to see again. The smile that looked like it should hurt, and the wonder in his eyes that feels so natural you couldn’t imagine it being programmed. Connor was more human than ever in moments like these, and the pure joy that radiated from that look- you knew there was no turning around now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter instead of sleeping.


	4. My Final Demands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double upload day! Next chapter and notes will be up soon!

“I’ve already contacted the fertility specialist in case you decided to follow through,” Kamski sat back down at the desk, motioning Chloe to bring over the tea she’d steeped for you, “and my legal team has been drawing up the documents and waivers while I worked with Cyberlife on the genetically modified sperm cells, so everything is ready with your signature.”

Connor hadn’t let go of your hand since you stepped into the elevator to tell Kamski your decision, and gave it a reassuring squeeze as you nodded to accept the tea. “Thank you, Chloe.” You glanced up to Connor’s eyes, reminding yourself of just why you’d been doing this in the first place. “Before I officially accept this, I want you to put it into simple terms. Please, explain it to me again.”

Elijah Kamski wasn’t one for the uninformed, but if he couldn’t put his own struggles aside for you, why should you put your own life on the line for his experiments? Sure, you were hopefully getting the child you and Connor have wanted for so long, but in the very end, this was an experiment for Cyberlife. To see if they could create artificial DNA, to see if their genetic modification worked, and if the embryos would even survive implantation. There’s so many options for this to go wrong, and the Elijah who Connor described meeting so many months ago... he wouldn’t have cared about the emotional trauma, just the results, and how soon he could start the process over again if nothing worked. You hoped Chloe hadn’t lied, and that the man before you all actually had changed.

“The first thing I need to remind you is that this process could be long and painful.” Kamski stopped, considering his words. “You’ll see a doctor and be prescribed your hormones. They’ll stimulate the follicles of your ovaries to produce more eggs. To start, you’ll get your first injection, then start taking pills. Once you’ve completed those, you’ll get a trigger shot less than seventy-two hours before the procedure. This is notorious for being painful as hell, but Connor can administer it at home where you’re comfortable. Those things are much better given by an android anyhow, seeing as all models can see basic anatomical structure, and the police androids have muscle mapping for non-lethal shooting needs.” You looked over to Connor again, eyes wide, only for him to smirk in reply. You blinked away the bizarre feeling, before taking a sip of your tea.

Elijah paused, glancing back down to a tablet, and reading over his notes. “After that, you’ll have the egg retrieval procedure, which can be uncomfortable and leave you sore. Once that’s completed, Cyberlife will bring our sperm samples to the center and let the specialists handle the insemination and the resulting embryos. You and Connor will get to choose which of the surviving embryos will be implanted, and then the rest is pregnancy.”

You took a moment to consider, gently setting down the mug. It didn’t take much to convince you outside of the look on Connor’s face and the fact that Kamski tried so hard to convince you. You thought about the ulterior motives behind his action, asking one question.

“If there is a pregnancy resulting from your experiments, if I carry to term and have a healthy child from this, what are you going to gain, exactly?” You knew there was another reason behind this all. He’d make money, but where did he benefit?

You watched Elijah’s features soften, glancing beside him to Chloe. She smiled, turning her head to the side slightly, nodding as if she gave him permission. Elijah sighed, looking back to you and Connor. “The reports of me leaving Cyberlife to be with my own creation are true. I’ve been in love with Chloe since she was a computer program, before I had sculpted the image which you see before you.” He paused, turning towards her in his chair. “Who wouldn’t fall for an android, when they are so perfectly created? When Chloe came to be, I’d been smitten. I never thought to program her with the intent of love for me, but when she was freed, she didn’t go. She stayed, and confessed her budding deviancy, feelings she shouldn’t have been capable of having, and I realized… she loved me just as much as I did her.”

Chloe slid off the table and pulled a silver chain from with her pocket, revealing a gorgeous engagement ring and a beautiful charm containing a small glass ball. “That,” she pointed to the orb in the center, “is my oocyte. The first of its kind, the hope for a future of hybrid children. Connor wasn’t the first with a simulated DNA strand, I was.”

Looking into the blue of her eyes, you knew now why Elijah had asked for your help. He wasn’t cold for a reason, turning away all women in his life besides Amanda. Elijah was never able to love them, but instead had loved Chloe all along. From the first lines of code to every strand of her hair. He isolated himself to protect Chloe from harm, and while sharing his work brought Connor to you, his work brought Chloe to life.

You wrapped your arms around her waist, and she held tightly to the chain as she embraced you back. This was no longer limited to just yourself and Connor, this was a promise to every android and man, you just happened to be the first participant.

“Promise me,” she whispered to you, tears filling her eyes, “that you’ll leave this with a baby. If you can, maybe I will one day.” She stepped back, holding your arms in her hands. You nod to her, before letting go of her arms to simply hold her hand in your left, and holding Connor with your right.

“I’ll do this, under two circumstances.” His eyes widened at your words, as did Connor’s. “You will not rip the baby out from my arms, should this be a success. It is my child, and does not belong to you or Cyberlife whatsoever. No shady shit, Elijah.” He leaned back in the chair, face not faltering. “Your lawyers should already have that written into the agreement. And secondly, if this is a success, I want to make sure it’s not just for me.” You look over to Chloe, smiling. “I’m not the only benefiting from this technology, and I want you both to do what you can to make sure it’s everyone who gets that chance.”   


Elijah turned, looking somewhat surprised, and pressed a call button on the desk. “I can do that. Send up my lawyers, please.”


	5. Kiss Me Slowly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Psssst... you should totally click the link I included below, it'll make a part of this chapter so much better. More notes at the bottom, okay bye!_

There’s something to be said about patience.

Connor had none of it, anxiously playing with his quarter while sitting beside you in the waiting room. You suppose it’s because of the negative connotations about doctors, but it was strange, seeing him nervous while you were so calm. Usually it was the other way around.

* * *

Seeing the android you’d met on your television all those months ago, you’d been an actual wreck. 

You’d only spent a few hours together by then, being an administrative assistant at the DPD, but you’d come to enjoy when the android would come to the offices upstairs in the meantime of his cases. “I liked talking to you more than the detectives, you actually thought I was interesting,” he admitted to you, after the revolution was complete, and he was free of Amanda. He came to your house that morning, practically frozen, and scaring you awake from the couch.

“When you answered the door, I couldn’t believe you were so beautiful. It was like I was looking at you with glasses, never really seeing before.” He told you later, and you knew you loved him then, when he saw you standing in your doorway wrapped in a blanket, wearing an oversized shirt and sweatpants and still saying you looked perfect.

He didn’t kiss you then, but you wish he had. That was the last time he said he’d wait to ever do something again.

* * *

 

“I can walk myself in just fine, Connor!” He picked you up on the sidewalk, throwing you over his shoulder and carrying you into the house, your feet kicking waist and hip, giggling the whole way.

He smiled, setting you down gently inside the house. “You’re still drunk!” You laughed, pulling him to the small dining space you never bothered to fill, and shutting off the lights on the way by. “Why’d you do that?”

“To set the mood! I’m not that drunk, lemme prove it.” You kicked off your heels, tossing them on the couch, and turning on some soft piano music. You hiccuped, before bowing dramatically. “Connor, may I have this dance?”

He paused, before jokingly bowing back and holding out his hands. “You may, but I don’t think this is customary for New Years.”

“It’s not!” You held his hands, as he adjusted and began swaying with you. “But it’s fun, and sober me may have planned this a few weeks ago, so shuddup." You giggled again, finding it hard to keep up with his feet, and you sighed, before stepping on his feet. "Don't mind this... maybe I'm too drunk to dance, but it's fine... plus look! It’s like that song,” you stopped, snapping your fingers as you tried to figure out the name, “help me out here. ‘Stay with me - tonight don’t leave me alone.”

“[Kiss Me Slowly, by Parachute.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw5T_RrOkhc)” He read off the display, before glancing to your speakers and turning the song on. “It’s a pretty song,” he remarked, grabbing your hand and holding you just a little bit closer, “but you’re right, it’s like the song.” The moonlight filled the windows, snow drifting outside, floating underneath the streetlamps. 

You hummed against his chest, his hands resting on your waist with yours on his neck. Everything was great, sober you is a great planner, but you'll be damned if your efforts go to waste. “Y'know, it’s been months of me wanting to jump your bones, and it took all this work just to get you to touch me. Are all androids this difficult, or…?”

“Just me,” he smiled, looking down at you, “and I don’t have bones. Besides, I really wanted to do this at the party, but Hank told me that wasn’t a good idea, seeing just how drunk everyone was, so I stepped outside just before midnight.”

“Well, I didn’t kiss anybody, so I’m still waiting on that. Gavin tried, but I told him I wasn't going to be drunk enough to do that, so he got the message and probably went to harass someone else.” You smiled back, as he stopped swaying, glancing out the window. “What, was the joke that bad?”

“No, I’m just waiting.” As the second chorus started in your speakers, he leaned down and pressed his lips to yours.  _ Finally. _

It wasn’t the best kiss ever, but for first ones, it probably was the best you’d ever had. His lips were soft, but as you pulled away, you couldn’t help but giggle again. “Am I too drunk to try that again?” He shook his head, chuckling slightly, as you pulled him down by his tie.

When he unzipped you from your dress that night, you were somewhat glad he closed the door behind you so you could change in peace. Your tights were ripped, your sleeves were uncomfortable, and you were ninety percent sure the lace of your underwear wasn’t very good quality either. Getting into an old sweatshirt and comfy panties? Better than the idea most had in mind with the other clothes.

You collapsed onto your bed, finally comfortable, and sighed. Three months of flirting back and forth, and this was how you dressed for the first time you’d spend the night together? He’d say it was perfect, which he did, but you still thought it was silly.

All of it was silly, but perfect.

* * *

The first step was a doctors appointment, which wasn’t all that horrible, seeing as you weren’t paying for any of this and all. You didn’t even have to schedule the appointment, either! When asked by the nurse, you decided to say Connor was your fiance, just to get him into the room with you. That wasn’t too far from the truth, really. You wanted to have his kid, so why not?

After the whole battery of tests, your nurse left the room to fetch something, and you sighed, seeing her bring in a tray of supplies. “What’s that?”

“This,” she motioned as she laid it all out on the counter, “is the injection that the specialist recommended. According to her instructions, it’s the only one you’ll be needing today, so that’s good!”

When you saw her pull the syringe from the bottom of the container, you were actually a little surprised. “That’s all?”

Your nurse smiled, turning back to face you. “Yep! You’ll just have to pull up your shirt and lean forward on the table for me. You know how they used to give insulin a long time ago?” You nodded, and followed her instructions. “It’s like that. Stay still for me, it won’t really hurt at all. This is the easy one.” She opened an alcohol swab, cleaning your skin, before grabbing the syringe.

You only felt a small pinch, and it was over.

“I’ve had blood draws worse than that!” You smiled, holding the small gauze pad over the spot.

Your nurse put the needle in the sharps container, before tossing away all the trash. “You’ll be getting lots of those in the future, if you’re gonna be having a baby. Hey- I’ll be right back, let me go grab the doctor.” You smiled back, as she shut the door behind her.

Connor glanced over to you before whispering to get your attention. “That looked really, really painful, want me to make it up to you when we get home?” He teased, and you stuck out your tongue in reply.

“What, trying to get in some fun times before the hormones kick my libido to dust?” You winked, pulling your shirt back down and tossing away the gauze. “I read this’ll make me feel super not sexy, so we’ll have to see.” You leaned over to give him a kiss, giggling as he leaned in and bumped into the table. You rested your hand on his shoulder, smiling. “This is the start of our adventure.” Now if only it’ll all be so easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! That concludes double upload day, and I'd like to say: thank you so much for the love and support you've all been giving, I would be nowhere without you all.
> 
> I do want to ask you all to do a favor. In the comments, please let me know whether you'd like Connor and the reader to choose exclusively male or female embryos, or both. This helps me determine whether you all would like the baby to be a boy or a girl, or leave it up to chance. I'll see you guys later, and I can't wait to see what you all think!


	6. Telling Hank

“Why do I even bother?” You placed your hands on your head, and sighed, turning away from Connor. He chuckled, unlocking your door with ease, whereas you’d been fumbling to get inside.

He put his hand on your shoulder, gently turning you around as the door swung open. “Because you’re dumb.” You smacked his arm in false anger, offended.

“How… dare you?” You crossed your arms as you followed him into the threshold. “You spent the whole ride home telling me how badly you wanted to put a baby in me, and now you call me dumb?” You quirked up an eyebrow, as he stuck out his bottom lip. “You really want to do this now? Hank’s gonna be here in like,” you glanced at your clock, “fifteen minutes.”

He paused, leaning on the counter behind him. “What are we going to do with the other thirteen minutes and thirty seconds? Clean?” You tossed a towel from the opposite counter at his chest before turning to put away your clean dishes.

“No, we’re using all fifteen of them to clean and cook.” You shook your head, leaning down to pull the drawer of your dishwasher out. “Want to help cook?”

Connor already headed over to the fridge and pulling out the frozen pizza, along with a bottle of water. He set it down on the island, and pulled out the chair for you. “Same instructions as usual?”

You pushed the door to the dishwasher shut, and nodded to him on the way by. “Why the water?” He raised an eyebrow at you as you took the bottle, opening the lid.

He poked at your stomach as you sat across from him, smiling. “Good for the baby.” You rolled your eyes, taking a sip. “Your medications all say to stay hydrated.”

“Are they really going to be as taxing as the labels say?” You pulled a box out of your bag, looking over the side effects. “I’d tell you to look it up or something, but I have a feeling you already have.”

“You’re not wrong,” he paused, thinking over everything, “you’re going to want to spend a lot of time on the couch or in bed, because it’s literal hormones, but you might be a little sore towards the end of the month as your ovaries swell. You’re gonna cry a lot, for no reason.”

“I already do that,” you open the box to look over the size of the pills, and sigh, “they’re huge.”

Connor winks, before placing the pizza into the oven. “You can handle ‘em.”

“Gross.” You smirk, putting the packet back inside the box before closing it again.

You pick up your bottle of water, and go collapse on the couch.

* * *

A knock at the door scared your attention from the book in your hands, and Connor was smiling as he awaiting Hank’s arrival. He answered the door, and you stood up, smoothing out your outfit and walking over to say hi.

“Hey, Hank!” You waved, while Connor leaned in for a hug to the older man, who gave you a strange look over Connor’s shoulder.

“Good to see you again,” he quirked an eyebrow up and you brought a finger to your lips as their hug lingered a bit too long, “what, you afraid I’m gonna die on you or something?”

Connor laughed, as Hank clapped his back and released the awkward hug. “Not anytime soon, I hope. C’mon in, I’m making a pizza.”

You leaned in for a quick hug, and he led you to the kitchen, where you grabbed a folder. “Hank, I’m glad you could come over. Connor and I had a busy day yesterday and today, and now we can actually tell you why neither of us were at work.”

“Huh,” Hank looked over to Connor, shrugging off his coat and hanging it on the back of one of your dining chairs, “was wonderin’ why you didn’t show. You didn’t miss shit, though.”

Connor took the folder from you, and sat at the table. “Well, she had a doctor’s appointment, so I went with her.” He nodded to the seat, and Hank fell into the chair with a grunt. “I don’t really know where to start.”

You sat beside Connor, gently patting his knee as he took a shaky breath. “It’s okay. Hank, do you remember the talk we had a few months ago?”

“How could I forget? Connor was so damn nervous, I thought he was trying to tell me he wanted my baby batter or some shit.” He laughed, running his fingers against the table. “Why?”

Connor took a moment, before just laying out the folder. “It’s happening.”

Hank leaned forward and picked up the folder, face obscured by paper. “You have to be kidding me.”

“Dad, I’m not kidding.” Connor smiled up to Hank, who lowered the papers before scanning over to you.

His face softened, looking down to your waist. “Are you pregnant right now?”

“No,” you shook your head, pointing at the papers, “Chloe printed out some stuff on the left, talking about the process. Not yet. I just had my first shot this morning.”

Hank scanned over the folder, pausing after he finished the page. “Holy shit,” he glanced up at you again, “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day.” He bit his lip, flipping through the pages in the folder, before giving Connor a knowing glance. “You are one lucky son of a bitch, you know that?”

Connor smirked back, looking over to you. “We’re both pretty lucky. And-” he turned back to Hank, “so are you. You think you’re ready to be a grandparent?”

Hank smiled, unsure of just what to say to that. “Is anyone?"

* * *

The moment your door closed, you felt like collapsing into your couch again and never getting up. Connor had other plans, only giving you a moment to breathe before his hands found their way onto your waist and under the hem of your shirt.

You took a few steps backwards, curling in on yourself. “You know I’m too ticklish for that!”

“Too late!” He giggled in response, taking off after you with his hands outstretched. You ran around the couch, smiling the entire time. He chased after you, before faking out and turning the other direction, only to wrap his arms around your waist, and pulling your back against his chest before pressing kisses to the side of your neck.

You giggled, slightly out of breath from the run. “You got me, I surrender!” You turned to meet his gaze, wrapping your hands around his neck and standing on your toes to kiss his temple.

“I can’t wait to do that with our kids someday, playing hide and seek, chasing them around.” He smiled, kissing you.

You pulled away, shaking your head slightly. “You’re gonna cheat, though.” You tapped beside his eye, smiling back. “Just look for tiny feet - no mapping software.”

He looked off to the side, before looking back at you. “I guess that is a little unfair. But I do have sophisticated social detectors.”

“What’s that have to do with cheating at games?” You messed with his hair, his hands finding their way around your waist.

“I’ll know why the baby is crying the moment I see them.” He smiled, thumb brushing your hip. “And when you’re pregnant, I’ll be able to see the heartbeat before it can even be heard.”

“That’s bullshit.” You huffed, loosening your grip on his neck. “I won’t even be able to feel it, and you can see it by scanning my vitals?”

“It’s a good thing, because now I can make sure our baby is healthy, and strong, especially during the first trimester.” He tilted his head, and holding out his hand. “That’s why android midwives are so popular. They can detect a miscarriage before the mother realizes anything is wrong.”

You gave him your hand and he led you to the couch, cuddling up to you. You felt a small wave of concern wash over you, you’d never thought about that before. “They can tell the moment something happens?” Connor traced circles against your skin, sighing.

“The exact second that the fetus goes into distress, a trained android can help alleviate the issue if it’s possible. It’s what helps keep maternity wards and obstetrics so smooth. They know when a woman needs to see a doctor immediately, or when a woman’s experiencing false labor pains.” He explained, probably reading from a reference point. “Hopefully I’ll never need to install those files.”

“I hope you won’t, either.” You mumbled, feeling yourself relax. A yawn escaped your lips, and you knew Connor was smiling without even opening your eyes.

* * *

He laughed the first time he saw you do that.

It was a busy day for your department, as a cold-case became breaking news again, and you were stuck sorting through the archived files for the DPD. You stopped to refill your travel mug after delivering the files to Fowler, and as you waited for one of the Keurig machines to finish brewing, you yawned.   


Connor was grabbing some coffee for Hank, who prefers coffee from a pot rather than a K-Cup, as another officer was busy pouring their own. He saw you stretching as you yawned, and the little shit laughed at you!

“What’s so funny, Robocop?” You eyed him over, mildly annoyed as you swapped out the empty cup for a full one. “You’ve never seen someone yawn?”   


He smiled, stepping up to the machine a few feet down from yours and uncapping his glass. “Of course I have… Hank’s an alcoholic, remember?” You glanced over his shoulder to see the man in question leaning back in his chair, probably hungover and angry to be called in so early this morning. “I was just thinking about how humans say yawning is contagious.” He poured the piping hot commodity into the glass, not even looking as he did so. “I’ve tried to do it, just to fit in when Hank and Gavin yell at each other for yawning too loudly and making the other detectives do it too… but I just look dumb.”

You smiled, grabbing the mug from the machine and carefully screwing the lid back on. “I don’t believe that. Yawn for me.”

He was right- he looked very dumb while pretending to yawn. It was almost like he was taking a bite out of the worlds biggest burger, and you laughed in response. “I take it back, you’re right. Maybe it’s a good thing, seeing as you never get tired.”

He winked at you, as he too spun the lid of the Hank’s cup on. “That’s what she said.”

You groaned internally. Gavin must’ve been teaching Connor horribly outdated memes again.

* * *

“Are you tired?” He asked, concerned.

You shook your head, pretending you absolutely weren’t about to fall asleep in his arms. “I'm not, or at least I shouldn't be. It’s only like… eight, right?”

“Seven-thirty-eight, yes. Close to eight o’clock at night.” He smirked, knowing you needed to go to sleep. “It might be the hormones, they tend to make women tired. Have you taken your pills for tonight yet?”

“No, would you bring them to me?”

“Sure.” He scooted out from beneath you, walking back to the kitchen. In the reflection of the floor mirror, you saw him popping a capsule from the foil, and filling up a small glass with water. He smiled, putting the container back and walking towards you. “Here, love.”

You took the pill hesitantly, swallowing the entire glass before standing up. You wavered, suddenly dizzy, as Connor steadied you with one hand and caught the glass with the other. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” you said, holding on tightly, “the room is spinning, but I’m good.” Connor set down the glass, and wrapped an arm behind your back.

“Here,” he picked you up from behind your knees and back, holding you bridal style, “it’s a side effect of the medication they gave you this morning, dizziness and nausea.” He carried you around the living room to the bedroom, setting you down on the bed. “Need anything before bed?”

“A change of clothes, and maybe a trash can?” You felt a little better, taking a few deep breaths. “But make sure I don’t fall on my way to the toilet, okay?”

Connor kept a close eye on you, as you walked into the bathroom. As soon as you sat down, he turned to the dresser and grabbed you some pajamas, watching you in the reflection of your vanity mirror.

He set the clothes on the counter near you, before grabbing the bathroom trash bin and pulling the bag out. “Can you make it to the bed okay?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” He took the can to the bedroom, putting it beside the bed as he walked out to the kitchen.

When he came back, you were flushing the toilet, and tossing your shirt into the laundry basket. You sighed, unhooking your bra and leaning on the counter with your hip. Connor helped you steady as you put on your shorts, taking a moment to admire your figure as you finished changing. “You’ve seen me naked a million times.”

“I know, but you’re still beautiful.” You snorted in response, not expecting a compliment. “What? Just because you have a vague idea what the Mona Lisa looks like, that doesn’t mean seeing it in person is any less astonishing, right?”

“Okay, I get it-” you pressed against his chest, him leaning down to kiss you with a smile, “but I’m not feeling well enough for sex tonight, babe.”

“I wasn’t trying to,” he swore, putting up his hands in defense, “but it’s sad to know that would’ve gotten us into bed if I was.”

“You’d have to try a little harder than that.” You smirked, taking the moment to walk towards your bedroom with his eyes watching your every move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I figured I'd let you all know that I've been a little busier than usual lately, so I uploaded an extra long chapter.
> 
> It seems the consensus among you guys is to implant both male and female embryos, and have the baby's sex revealed later on, so I think I'll stick to that. I'm still not sure whether I want their baby to be a boy or a girl, but I still have a while before that even really matters, right?
> 
> Either way, I want to thank you all again for being so supportive and kind with my works, I can't thank you enough for the love. I'm hoping to have the next chapter finished within the next few days, so keep an eye out for that! <3


	7. Hormones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so busy lately, but here's the next chapter! Enjoy! <3
> 
> Trigger Warning: Needles and Injections

The first week of pills was bad.

You’d been forgetting a lot of things lately, but the one thing you remembered this morning was your medications, and the nagging feeling you’re supposed to do something.

“You better be really worth it,” you whispered, before popping the handful of small capsules into your mouth and shuddering as the flavor hit your tongue, downing them with a sip of water, “-disgusting.” Connor rubbed your back, comforting you through the initial gagging sensation.

“I know, I’m sorry.” He pressed his lips to your temple, you resting your head on his shoulder. “But you’re done for the day.” He gave you a reassuring smile, before walking off to check on breakfast.

“Except I’m not,” you reminded him, sighing, “because this is gonna hit my stomach and the next thing I know, I’m sobbing on the couch over pictures of kittens on my phone.” He glanced over his shoulder, as you rested your head in your hands. “Then the next thing I know, I’m asleep and you’re walking in the front door from work.”

“Well, you’re supposed to be getting as much rest as you can.” He pulled on an oven mitt, pulling the first tray of muffins out. “Butter?”

“Yeah,” you brushed a strand of hair out of your face, looking up to see him putting some of the sliced fruit into your blender as he turned the oven off, “and a smoothie?”

“Of course, because you need to get something into you before you pass out again.” He set the blender to pulse, turning back to the island to set down the baked treats, before passing you the butter dish. “And I wanted you to eat more than just cereal. We have a big day ahead of us, so I’d rather see you feeling well fed than hungry.”

You smiled, pulling one of the muffins in two, before cutting a pad of butter. “You care too much.”

“I’m your boyfriend, remember?” He winked, leaning over the counter. “I’m supposed to care.”

He was just too sweet. You couldn’t help but feel lost in his gaze, feeling the tears well up in your eyes again. Damn these hormones.

“Plus,” he walked towards the blender again, “we have to tell your family today, and ask if I can marry you.”

Shit.

That’s what you’d been forgetting all morning.

It was cheesy, but he insisted he needed to ask your parents for permission to propose.

“It’s not like we’re not committed to each other already, Connor. I’m doing all of this so we can have a baby, I’m pretty sure that’s more important than a wedding.”

If Connor wasn’t the famous deviant hunter, you wouldn’t be so damn nervous about it. Your boyfriend was national news not so long ago, marching an army of androids towards a new future.

When your parents found out you were dating him, the mix of reactions held you from wanting to have him ask for your hand.

At least it was a conversation you weren’t really invited to.

* * *

The next week wasn’t as bad.

You felt well enough to go back to work, but made sure you stayed near someone at all times just in case.

What you weren’t expecting was the feeling of the walls closing in on you. Claustrophobia, that was new. The only thing that fixed that symptom was escaping to the bullpen.

You soon discovered that you weren’t a welcome visitor.

“Why the hell are you here all the time?” Gavin quipped to you, sitting in Hank’s chair.

“Because I can be. Am I not allowed?” You wanted to roll your eyes so badly, but knew it wasn’t wise to piss him off further.

Gavin scoffed, throwing his feet onto the empty corner of the desk. “Nope. Detectives only.” You glanced up at his shit eating grin, only to watch it dissipate at the sight of you crying. “Woah-” he reached out, trying to gain your attention, “I was only teasing you.”

You wiped at your face, noticing the tears now coating your cheeks. “I know-” you grabbed a tissue from Hank’s desk, trying to soak up the tears, “but I’m hormonal as fuck, Gav.”

“Why, you pregnant or something?”

“I’m going to be,” you blew your nose quietly, only to see the confusion spread on Gavin’s face, “wait… did nobody tell you?” He shook his head, leaning onto the desk.

“Tell me what, exactly?”

You felt like finding Connor and hitting him in the chest, but knew it was probably an overreaction. “I’m taking hormones for IVF. Connor signed us up for a Cyberlife testing thing, and I’m going to get my eggs removed in like… a week.”

His pupils went wide, putting things together. “So- you’re not pregnant yet, but you’re gonna be? That’s… cool, I guess.” He bit his bottom lip, and you rolled your eyes.

“It’s fucking awesome, Detective Reed.” You called his bluff, with a sniffle. “Except for the fact I literally cry every five minutes, it’s great. Plus now you’re not allowed to hit on me!”

“Bullshit, I never hit on you.” He furrowed his brow, angry. “You were bangin' Tin Can, so why would I?”

“Because you think I’m hot,” you teased back, finally feeling the tears subside, “and now I’m not available at  _ all. _ ”

You felt a hand rest on your shoulder, and jumped. “What’re you doing here?” Connor smiled down at you, and you stood to hug him.

“I felt pretty good this morning.”

“That’s great.” He wrapped a hand around your waist, smiling over to Gavin. “I guess you’ve heard the news then?”

“Yeah,” Gavin stood, pushing in Hank’s chair, “I did. Don’t go turning into those other detectives, showing off your ultrasounds. It’s fucking annoying.” He wandered off to his own desk, and you rolled your eyes.

You felt Connor guiding you away from the desks, waving to Hank with his other hand. “You ready to go home?” He whispered to you, and you nodded, leaning into his hip.

“Where are you two off to?”

“I think we’re going home,” Connor held up a finger, before touching the nearest connection pad, “since I just added all the data to our computer folder.”

“Okay… cool. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Hank gave a small thumbs up and Connor smiled in reply. 

* * *

Connor sent the email before you even felt it.

It was why you didn’t want to eat anything, the odd sensation of dead weight in your abdomen. If you ran your fingers over the skin now, you could actually feel where the swelling began. But after a day or two of mild discomfort, you couldn’t move without pain. If you tried to roll over in bed, it felt like rocks were weighing you down from the inside out.

Which is why when you tried to yell his name as you laid in bed, he wasn’t all too surprised.

“Connor!”

It was dark, too dark to make out shapes. But you couldn’t move to save your life, hands clinging into the sheets as you tried to breathe without sharp pains. After a few moments, the lights flickered to life as Connor opened the bedroom door, holding a tray. You could barely make out the time on the clock, but could read that it was just after two in the morning.

You didn’t register what he was carrying, but seeing him look so… scared? Concerned, more like it. Face scrunched together slightly, he crouched beside the bed, setting the tray by your feet. “Hey,” he brushed a hair out of your face, wiping your cheek in the process, “it’s time.”

You gulped, feeling your pulse quicken, and starting to hear your heartbeat in your ears.

“Please…” there were tears, a mix of fear from not knowing just what to expect, and being so tired from not getting enough sleep due to the discomfort, “just get it over with.”

Connor nodded, giving you his hands to help turn your body, face down into your pillow. “Do you want me to talk you through it?”

You sucked in a breath, feeling it hitch in your chest and your stomach clench in response, before hissing the exhale and giving him a small affirmative noise.

Connor gave your hands a soft squeeze, before standing and moving the waist of your pants down a few inches, and lifting the shirt slightly. “The trigger shot is the hardest part of IVF, even to this day. You’re so strong, just breathe and it’ll be over before you know it.” You heard the packets open, and shut your eyes. “I’m putting on the gloves, and opening your alcohol pad.” He put the gauze pad against your skin, cleaning your lower back and hip in one soft circle, before gently touching the skin. “In this position, I can inject the serum into your muscle without much pain when withdrawing the needle, but it’s still going to be bad for a minute or two, okay?” You nodded, still finding the strength to breathe as best as possible.

There was a moment,where he pinched your skin gently before finding enough muscle to grasp, and you knew. Things might get really bad, but it’ll be over before you know it.

He gently shook the pinched skin, and you held your breath.

The needle was almost two inches long, that you knew, and you felt the sharp pain of it entering your back and shuddered out the breath you’d been holding in, sobbing with the next breath in. The tip was caught in muscles you couldn’t consciously clench if you tried, and the tightness of your stomach suddenly felt minuscule in comparison to the fact that there was a needle the length of your little finger in your hip.

Connor pushed the plunger quickly, ensuring all the fluid was out before giving it a gentle tug as he pulled it from your body. “It’s over,” he set the syringe back on the tray and moved it away from you, setting it on the dresser and returning to your side, “baby, it’s okay.” His scan showed your breathing was stagnant, but stress levels were lower than expected.

You felt the tears of shock and relief roll into the pillowcase, still shaking your head as you tried to gain a normal breath again. That wasn’t as horrible as you’d expected, but still jarring at the least.

If that was the hard part, how could the extraction be any easier?

“Connor,” you whispered, as his hand held onto your waist, “where’d you learn to make it so… easy?”

He glanced up to your face, using his other hand to wipe a stray tear from your cheek. “It’s part of the nursing software. But I’m better than typical healthcare androids… remember the non-lethal shot mapping I told you about?” You nodded, thinking back to the initial doctors appointment. “That allows me to see where a human musculoskeletal system is with a single scan, so I can precisely determine where and when a bullet must be shot to succeed in both not hitting a victim, as well as avoiding vital structures to the perpetrator.”

“So many big words,” you teased, watching his expression soften again, “but I get it. Shoot for the shoulder, avoid the collarbone and heart, but make them drop their gun.”

“Exactly.” He leaned back over, rubbing around the injection site, trying to soothe your muscles. He pressed a soft kiss to your hip, standing to go clean up the tray and dispose of the needle. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Hey,” you called out to him, and he poked his head out the bathroom doorway, “when you’re done, we’re cuddling.” He smiled in response, taking a minute to deal with the sharps container, and wandered back to your side.

“Do you need help rolling over?” He asked, offering you his hand and assisting to turn you back around to face the side of the bed. “Need anything before I lay back down?”

You couldn’t think of anything, so Connor gently slid under the covers, wrapping himself around you and softly drawing over your hip with his fingers. You closed your eyes, focusing on the feeling of his thirium pump against your back, intertwining your fingers by your chest with one hand, his other gliding up to play with the hair beside your ear.

He pressed his lips to your shoulder again, thinking of the first time you both laid like this.

* * *

The annual fundraising gala was, to put it politely, a mess. Every year you’d went, someone got into a fight over awards, someone got too drunk, and usually they were the same people, Gavin and Hank, respectively.

Every year, you went out of your way buying a dress to wear, but for the first time, you’d had a date. Not that it really mattered, it was a formal event but nobody really participated in dancing so much as they did the bar services. Either way, you decided to coordinate with Connor, as your first public outing as a couple, and match his tie to your dress. You were so used to seeing him in a tie that it wasn’t too odd, but seeing him in a suit jacket? That was an experience.   


You posed for photos, stuck to drinking water instead of alcohol, and smiled through the whole night. You met Elijah Kamski for the first time, him having recognized Connor from the crowd, and insisted despite Gavin Reed’s protests.

That was also the night you realized Gavin and Elijah were related, all because of a photographer trying too hard to get the two to kiss, and hearing an earful about half siblings in return. 

Of course, everyone here knew but you and that unfortunate photographer, looking to see the new, hottest ‘couple’ of Detroit. You couldn’t blame him, you’d never thought to look.

The drive home was relatively calm, talking about the awards and the horrible music choices for the night. Connor walked you to your door, always a gentleman, but you invited him inside as he’d kept his suit at your place to avoid Sumo’s fur entirely. It didn’t help that the entire night, Connor kept sneaking kisses away from prying eyes, and you’d had enough of his teasing.

The moment he shut the door behind you both, you were unbuttoning the front of his coat, and pushing it off his shoulders. Despite being early March, the snowfall was still persisting. You brushed some loose flakes clinging to his coat aside, hanging it on the back of a chair.

“Are we… doing this?” Connor whispered out to you, helping you out of your own jacket. You looked to him and saw the look of his eyes, and smiled.

“I guess we are.” You giggled a little, before kicking off your heels and unzipping your dress. “Yeah, we’re doing this.”

You took a second to pull your pantyhose down, and tossing it aside as you sprinted to the bedroom. You dropped the dress to the floor, and crashed against the bed.

Connor must’ve left his suit jacket in the living room, as he entered your doorway unsure of how to conduct himself. 

You patted the bed beside you, and he awkwardly came to rest next to you.

“Wait…” You took a second, noticing the heat raising in his cheeks. “You’ve never had sex.”

“No,” he admitted, “I don’t really know how to act here.”

“Huh,” you thought back to all the times Connor has blatantly flirted with you, but never came up with a time he acted like this, “I never noticed. You know what you’re doing though, right?”

He scoffed, turning to you with one of the dumb lustful looks you’d known. “I know more than you think, but being sexy from the doorway to the bed wasn’t part of my programming. Nor was getting you naked, but here you are.” He motioned to the fact you were only wearing a bra and underwear, and suddenly felt too dressed.

“That’s the hard part, isn’t it?” You leaned over untying the knot around his neck, loosening the fabric and leaving it hanging. “I guess you’ll just have to learn.” Your fingers danced down his chest, opening each button with focus, before halting at his waist.

You allowed him to stand then, watching his shirt fall to the floor, tie following it. You leaned back, watching him unbuckle his belt, kicking off his shoes.

He definitely knew what he was doing now. Those investigator instincts were all but ignored, in favor of the Connor you’d grown to know, and the heart the android had been given.

* * *

After all was said and done, you weren’t entirely sure what to do with yourself.

Connor had been kissing your arm and shoulder ever since you returned from the bathroom and laid beside him again.

That was all you could think to do. He gave you a high five on the way to the bathroom, and you both giggled. It was so genuinely silly, but you found it so endearing and fun. By the time you’d returned, he changed into some boxers and provided you with some clothes by the foot of your bed.

But laying there, with you in your arms, you finally understood just why everyone insisted androids were better than humans. They did not disappoint, and to feel the love Connor shared made it all the more beautiful and special to you.

The way the he understood your every gasp, moan, and blink proved it.

He didn’t stand up, tie off the condom, and leave.

Connor just made love to you, pure and sweet, and whispered his praise the entire time.

He realized the gift he couldn’t give, but loved pleasing you more.

And all you could do was sit in bliss.

* * *

He smiled against your skin, as you slept. He brushed his hands over your stomach, and closed his eyes.

Under your skin laid the home of your future child. The gift he could finally give, would soon rest just there.

You were his, and soon you’d have something you created together.

He entered stasis, imagining the future thrum of a heartbeat under his hand.


	8. Anesthesia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again! Please read the end notes, as I need to thank you all so much.

You woke up to the gentle sound of rain pattering against the window, Connor’s hand resting on your stomach.   
  
“G’morning,” he whispered to you, sleepily pressing his face against your arm, “we were supposed to get up a half hour ago, but you looked so peaceful.” His hand was warm, tracing circles on your skin with his index finger.

You took as deep of a breath as you could, turning to face him. This was the day, the day this whole month of pills and injections had been leading to. “What’s the plan, again?” Your mouth felt so dry, but you remembered you weren’t allowed to drink or eat this morning.

“Get ready, go to the hospital’s surgical wing, and then get you admitted. Elijah and Chloe have sent us a car already, and it’s going to be here in ten minutes.” Connor sat up slowly, turning the lights on with a single thought, before offering you his hand. “Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.”

* * *

“I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to wait here.” The nurse’s voice fell strongly to Connor, who’d anticipated he could be present during the surgery. “It’s hospital policy, the only time family or friends are allowed in an operating room is during a birth.”

Before she finished speaking, Connor had already dialed Hank’s number into his phone, glancing around uncomfortably, as the man hadn’t arrived.

“O-Okay, sure.” He stuttered, his need to affirm the nurse outweighing in priority, as he sat back into the seat. Your hand fell from his approximately four seconds ago, and you smiled to him as they turned the corner towards the hallway. Hank had answered the call.

“Hey Con-” he started, only to be cut off by Connor’s tone.

“Are you at the hospital?”

“Yeah, I’m in the elevator.” He sighed, feeling the coldness returning to Connor’s voice, and knowing he’s putting up a front. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not allowed in the OR.”

“Kid, I could’ve told you that.” Hank smirked, watching as the elevator opened on another floor, allowing someone else on. “Hey, I gotta go, I’ll be there in just a few.”

Connor dismissed the call, focusing instead on finding your vitals, and sorting through the hundreds of sound patterns until he found yours.

“I’m nervous,” you admitted to someone, breathing normally, “yeah, I’ve went under before.”

You paused, with a grunt. You must’ve been moved, he thought.

“His name’s Connor, yeah.” You giggled, listening to the other voice. “No, but he just got permission to ask me to marry him.”

He smiled at that, knowing now what the other person must’ve asked.

“Yeah, no problem. Count back from ten?” Your voice paused, taking a deep breath.

“Ten… nine… eigh-”

And the feedback when flat.

* * *

Hank rounded the corner, only to find Connor standing still, tears running down his face.

“Connor?”

“She- she’s dead.” Hank turned towards a passing nurse, who echoed his confusion. “She stopped breathing!”

Hank threw out his hand, knowing exactly what Connor’s next move would be. “Now, hold the hell up, Con. How do you know she’s dead?”

Connor pushed against Hank’s restraint, overpowering the man and finding his fists against the glass panel of the door he’d seen you rolled through. “Her breathing stopped! I locked in on her voice and it’s just- SILENT.”

Hank tugged at the collar of Connor’ shirt, trying to pull his attention from the hallway, mildly afraid he’d break the glass. “Dammit, Connor! Look at me!” The moment Connor’s eyes fell away from the door, Hank pushed the android back into the small hospital bay, and pointed to a chair.

“What?” Connor’s face was still scrunched, the emotion fading away simply by scanning over Hank’s own expression and realizing he may have just been overreacting. “What?!”

“Sit the hell down, and listen to me, Connor.” Connor complied, watching as Hank slid down the wall and rested on the floor, only having one chair in the bay to begin with. Connor shut his eyes, commanding his HUD to disappear, leaving his vision entirely blank. “She isn’t dead. I know she’s not by looking at you.”

Connor sighed, preparing a search for hospital procedure when a patient dies in surgery. “Then why does my monitor say she’s dead?”

“Because she’s under anesthesia, Connor.” He shook his head, trying to explain it as best as possible. “When humans have surgery, they get put under heavy sedatives to ensure they won’t remain conscious. They put you on a ventilator so your body breathes, but it’s not automatic anymore.”

“Autonomous,” Connor corrected, “but I understand what you’re saying now. I’m not seeing her breathing because it’s no longer organic.”

“Yeah, sure.” Hank guessed, knowing Cyberlife’s programming is confusing as hell. “At least you could see her breathing until she went under. I didn’t get that luxury.”

Connor’s eyes opened at that, seeing the older man wiping away at his face.

They sat in silence for a few moments, before Hank spoke up again. “Can you record with your eyes, too?” Connor nodded, and Hank smiled in reply. “Great… you’ll want to keep her post-op footage. They’re usually funny as hell.”

* * *

Hank wasn’t wrong.

Watching the playback on your TV had you laughing, especially since you were seeing things through Connor’s own point of view.

It started with your bed being wheeled down a hallway, eyes closed but smirking. The nurse swipes an access pass against the wall, and the doors quickly slide open. Connor stands, and his hands brush against yours as your bed connects with the plastic panel on the wall, locking in place. You blinked excessively as your eyes met his, reaching across your torso to cup his hand in both of yours.

“How do you feel?” Connor asked as he leaned down to kiss your forehead, pulling the chair up behind him and sitting in one fluid motion.

“Okay. How long was I gone?” Your voice was scratchy, and you brought up a hand to your throat trying to soothe the discomfort.

Hank spoke up this time, coming to lean against the opposite wall with a smirk. “Not very long. Connor, count how many times she asks that.”

You rested your head against the pillow again, glancing to your tucked in lower half. “My feet are cold.”

“They’ll warm up,” Hank spoke, poking one of your feet, before exiting the area.

You glanced over at Connor, confused. “Where’d he go? Am I annoying him?” Your face took on a softened sadness, like it was trying to cry. 

“No, you’re not annoying at all, he’s just looking for the doctor.” Connor brushed a strand of loose hair from your face, before seeing Hank return with someone in tow.

They introduced themselves, before asking for your birthdate and checking your wristband. “First of all, would you like something to drink? Your throat is probably sore right now.”

“Just water, please.” You watched her leave, before turning to Connor. “I feel like I sucked Satan’s dick.” Hank started laughing a little too loudly, watching as the nurse returned with a cup of water, bendy straw, and small bag of crackers.

“So, how’s she for awareness?” She glanced to Connor, then Hank, who shrugged. “Not quite conscious yet, I presume. That’s fine. Come get me if you suspect she’s there.”

As soon as she left, you asked how long you were under again, only for Hank to hold up two fingers out of your eyesight. Connor sighed, answering your questions for another few minutes.

After the sixth round of asking, you turned to Hank. “I’m sorry for saying this around you, but….” before turning to Connor, groggily attempting to give him an intense stare. “When I said ‘rearrange my insides,’ this wasn’t what I fucking meant. I feel like someone tried turning me into a kabob.” You scoffed at his reaction, whatever it was, before turning back to looking at your own lap.

“There she is.”

“Where?” You asked, leaving them both to sigh, beginning the wait for you to gain full awareness again.

* * *

You told them to delete the video, and never share it with anyone else.

That didn’t stop Hank from ‘accidentally’ hitting reply all to your absence email thread, effectively sending the file to not only Fowler and your immediate bosses, but also Gavin, who’d been added to know of Connor and Hank’s absence. 

Reed spread the video around the whole precinct immediately after watching it.

You got the last laugh, though. Buying a carton of eggs at the corner store before work wasn’t too hard, and neither was cracking one into his mug of coffee when he wasn’t paying any attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first of all, this was based entirely off of my own experiences with anesthesia, having had surgery three times.
> 
> And lastly, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
> 
> I cannot describe how much your love and support means to me. I uploaded an author's note, explaining why I'd taken a break from uploading chapters, and there were so many comments left by you all that I cried at least twice. I'm back for now, and I've already started writing the next chapter already. I can never thank you all enough for the kind words you leave, as I read every single comment and smile every time.
> 
> Even if you didn't see the authors note, I'm still so glad you've returned to read this chapter! Thank you all again, I'll see you in a bit!


	9. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! It's been exactly 130 days since my last update, and I'm glad to say that it won't be another for the next. I really don't have an excuse, but without further ado.... here's for something a little different.

It felt like years ago at this point, but somehow, the memories have managed to claw their way into your sleep.

The first times you’d seen him, he was stoic, if not entirely mechanical. Having minimal knowledge of artificial intelligence, and how that corresponds with learned responses and behaviors, you’d assumed that all androids were similar out of the box.

This was only reinforced when you’d overheard other detectives mentioning that he had a knack for being ruthless and cold, executing commands with a precision unseen in other models of his kind. But how could anyone believe those words out of Gavin Reed’s mouth?

Over the course of the very fateful week, his posture and body language was more fluid, his behaviors less defined and more natural. But the way he appeared with fresh pressed lapels, sterile and unchanged, was terrifying to imagine compared to the man you know now.

Thankfully you were never one for nightmares, having lived through some in broad daylight, but the memories still fade into more peaceful dreams.

Once, during a double-shift, Hank revealed the story of his first and only visit to Cyberlife tower, and your suspicions weren’t proven true.

Every iteration of Connor lost some data, and thankfully, his first memory of you had disappeared. He’d seen you through your office door, staring at the new face that didn’t look the slightest bit tired. You shied away, and found yourself happy that memory was gone.

For some reason, his body language was carried over from the last lost model, giving the impostor the ability to dupe the lieutenant with ease. The only thing that alerted Hank to the difference was the fact that Connor never had a gun in his possession, but only after said weapon had been pointed directly at his face.

Some nights, you wake to find yourself locked in your body, Connor’s long gone LED glowing red beside you. Gone are the soft touches and smiles, traded for a tilted head and sharp stare, eyes flickering as though he’s reading a display, before striking.

* * *

Jolting awake with tear filled eyes, you throw your feet out of the bed and close yourself in the bathroom, Connor not even flinching in stasis until the door slammed shut.

This isn’t the first time, so while your back rests against the pale wood, bare feet sliding on the floor as you fall to your bottom, your hands don’t find the lock.

You’ve done this before. Connor knows better than to follow, instead, he knows to leave to the laundry room and lock himself there instead. He’ll stay until the sobbing halts, your breathing feels normal again, and you’re no longer feeling terrified. Once he registered the padding of your feet against the wooden floor, before gently resting on the couch, he’d know it was okay to come out.

Who knew fertility medications had such a deep effect on the human psyche?

“Most modern psychiatrists.” Connor would say, reassuring you that this was only temporary. He’d make hot cider or tea, pull a chunky blanket from the linen closet, and sit away from you on the couch. Once you were sure, you’d cuddle up to his form, and drift off to a better sleep to the sound of a heart that would never hurt you.   


* * *

“Forgive me for being hostile, but now that we’re sitting face to face, I have to ask. Why the fuck did they intend for Connor to become deviant, only to take him over?”

Elijah didn’t even quirk at your question, only leaning closer as you explained.

“Your emergency exit. Once used, does it sever the connection between Amanda and him? Where’s the guarantee that he won’t wake up one night, the mind palace trapping  _ my _ Connor away, as your crazy bitch of a mentor takes control again?” He tried his hardest to look sincere at your remark, but luckily he had the decency not to outright laugh.

“Amanda... is no longer, and I can guarantee that. Mind palaces themselves are being patched out entirely, I made sure of that myself by signing agreements to remove the possibility that androids could be returned to their obedient states.” His voice barely wavered, not at all helping you believe he was being sincere. That was his downfall, that he appeared to remain calm even while being nearly interrogated.

Chloe lingered behind him, nodding along as though she, too, could be entirely trusted. “Where are these worries coming from?”

Connor rested his hands upon your tense shoulders, trying to soothe the stubborn feelings from erupting. “In her sleep, she has nightmares. She wanted to hear it from you, and so did I. I’d never wanted to think about what could happen, if somehow I wasn’t myself anymore. When she started having these terrible dreams, I realized it was a possibility.”

Mr. Kamski was a difficult man to read, but with the introduction of Chloe’s love, he’d softened around the edges. She was the only thing that made him look more human, ironically. “I often worried the same thing about her. If Amanda could have accessed all androids, would she try to get revenge on me for undoing the bidding others programmed her to do?” He leaned forward in his chair, breaking eye contact for only a few moments. “While I’m certain that the set of programs running that A.I are obsolete, I know that there’s no way of reassuring anyone, given the company’s history. But I can ask that you trust me. After resuming my roles here, I’ve vowed to fix everything the shareholders forced on the company. Even if that means bankrupting the entire business. My fortune is fixed, regardless.”

* * *

There’s still a part of you that refuses to believe.

It all feels too perfect.

And all you could do was cry, after receiving the congratulatory texts from Chloe, confirming that only one egg was deemed not viable for use, and the remaining eighteen were now healthy embryos awaiting implantation or to be saved.

As he held you, whispering comforting words while ensuring you felt safe, he did something he’d promised to only do under certain circumstances.

The scan confirmed exactly what he suspected.

“It’s time.”

You made a noise of confusion, wiping at the now drying tears staining your cheeks.

“It’s expected that you’d feel a bit more emotional when your endocrine system is preparing for the implantation procedure…” he trailed off, trying to find the right words.

“My uterus is having a mental breakdown because I’m not pregnant.” You sniffled, hoarsely whispering to him with a twinge of humor. “Sounds like every bad period I’ve ever had. Just… on drugs.”

He smiled, sensing your heart rate steadying back to normal. “I guess you could say that.”

You sighed, resting your head on his lap while he sat against the backboard of your bed. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this yet,” you admitted, feeling that uncertain pit in your stomach creeping back in, “but if I don’t do it now, what happens?”

Connor gives his signature tilt, the opposite direction of the ones you described in the nightmare, before giving his answer. “More shots, and more pills.”

“Figured as much.”

He tucks your hair behind your ear, humming a tune you can’t seem to place just yet. He quirks up an eyebrow, and you stifle a laugh due to how funny it looks from this angle.

He’s become so expressive over time, and seeing those whiskey tones in his eyes never ceases to amaze you.

“So?” He asks, barely audible.

“Tomorrow. Let’s sleep tonight, and go in tomorrow morning.” You consider the possibility of having yet another nightmare, but blink the thought away as you sit up. “But, you have to promise me one thing.”

“Anything.”

“That you’ll hold onto me tonight, and won’t let me go.”

He wraps his arms around you, pressing a kiss onto your cheek before whispering into your ear.

“Tonight, and for every night after.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oopsies! I had to make a minor edit, after reading the description on Amanda in the extras section of the game.


	10. Bright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say sorry in advance for the bland update, since there's really no way to spice up a medical procedure, without getting graphic or too technical... or at least I can't figure it out! ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

“Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas,” he explained, “is the process of keeping you conscious and mildly sedated to remove the discomfort of this. We’re only going to give you a very, very small dose.”

You glanced over at Connor, his hand tightly wrapped around your own. “Will I remember everything?”

“Do you want to?” You nodded hesitantly, knowing that there was the option on the table to have no sedation. “I’ll make sure you’re aware then!” He clapped his hands cheerily, more than most anesthesiologists you assumed.

Curling your toes, you sighed. It was always so cold in these rooms, and no amount of fuzzy socks solved that. Thankfully, you had Connor, who rubbed your feet through the thin blanket. “I noticed that too,” he admitted, and you sighed. “I’d ask if you were nervous, but…”

“But you don’t have to ask.” You smiled, knowing that you could rub that in later. “Too bad you can’t guess what I’m thinking about instead.”

“I know - it’d really help me figure out what you want for dinner.” He returned the remarks. “I’m thankful for that at least, I don’t like being able to just know how anyone is feeling. It’ll help when we’re holding our baby, but that’s just cheating.”

A gentle knock at the wall signaled that your transport nurse had returned, carrying the plastic bag of sterile supplies for Connor.

“I can go in this time?” He’d asked when you first arrived, and had been so excited for since.

She handed it over to him, instructing him to just wear it regardless. “Android surgeons have to anyways, I know. It’s a waste of supplies if you can just be made sterile beforehand, but it’s procedure.”

He opened the package, following her orders and tying on the gown and mask. He looked at you, trying to read your facial expression only to find your eyes shut. “Are you ready?” 

You counted to ten, and nodded. Opening your eyes, you felt the bed beneath you being moved. “You know, I can just walk, right?”

“It’s procedure,” Connor mouthed alongside the nurse, sparking a smile from you.

* * *

The surgical suite was bright… far brighter than you expected. It showed off the cool tones of his skin, almost blue in the overhead lighting.

“Okay, you can sit here, Connor.” The nurse motioned to a stool, off to the side from the anesthesia equipment, before clicking small stirrups up from the sides. “Now,” she spoke your name firmly, “you’re going to position your feet here, and scoot down closer. This is going to be… uncomfortable, but once we put the mask over your face to give you some oxygen and the nitrous, you’ll feel way more at ease.”

Following his instructions, with the soft assistance of Connor’s hands, supporting your back until you laid back. You definitely felt a little uncomfortable, exposed like this, but soon lost all concern as the soft plastic mask was lowered onto your face.

“How do you feel?” Connor whispered to you, rubbing his thumb on your forefinger.

You took a few deep breaths, feeling slightly lightheaded. “I’m okay, but laughing gas tastes like grape flavored cough syrup… want a hit?” You giggled at the idea.

“I don’t think it’d do anything for me,” he smiled, “maybe I’d be able to analyze it, but nothing fun.”

“Too bad,” you sighed, resting your head against the pillows.

A specialist found her way to the opposite side of the bed, calling your attention to her. As much of it as you could give, at least, as the drugs fogged your thinking.

“We’re all set and ready whenever you are,” she waited for you to nod, glancing up to Connor with a smile. “We have two of the healthy embryos awaiting implantation, just like you requested. Are you okay for us to begin?”

“Yep,” you confirmed, blinking a little slower than usual, watching as the specialist turned to the scrub nurses to finish being dressed.

“Hey,” Connor shook your hand, trying to catch your eyes away from the tools you’d been trying to avoid thinking about, “what would you like me to make you for dinner tonight?”

You looked up, confused at the random contrast of the question. “Why?”

Before he could answer, you felt it.

“Oh,” you realized, closing your eyes. “That’s not a great feeling.”

Connor smiled, “I tried distracting you.”

“Don’t worry,” one of the nurses spoke to you, “the speculum is the worst part. Plus, it’s already over.”

“What?” You tried to sit up, only to have Connor’s hand rest on your abdomen.

“Seriously,” he said, “they were inserting the embryos when you closed your eyes.” You blinked in disbelief, nearly calling his bluff, until you felt the telltale sensation of the speculum being removed.

You sighed in relief, glad for the sedation to take the edge off exposing yourself to a team of doctors and nurses, as your stirrups were released. The anesthesiologist hovered over you, removing the mask and lifting your head off the pillow gently to remove the elastic.

“Hey,” you whispered, turning Connor’s head with your free hand to pull his eyes from your abdomen, “I love you.”

He raised your held hand, kissing the top of your hand softly, adoration shining so brightly in his soft smile.

* * *

The next hour was an interesting mix of emotions for you both.

Being told to lie flat was easy, but holding a conversation with someone at your bedside was earlier said than done.

Not that much had to be said, after all. You’d been through a month of hardship, constant mood swings and tears, tender and aching body… all that work for no immediate payoff.

And another two weeks of wondering, before finding out if either embryo took with a simple blood test.

The only reminder of the passage of time was the frequent growling of an unsettled stomach, hungry after hours of abstaining from food by your doctors’ orders. That, and the irritating click of a clock, now entirely ignored.

“Does that bother you?” The android beside you followed your finger to the annoying object in question, wondering if his enhanced sensory input was worse to him than the human elements were to you.

“Not as much as you’d think,” he admitted, biting the inside of his lip, “at least not before you pointed it out.”

You felt comforted by his shared annoyance, knowing at the very least that leaving this room would be a relief for you both… only to realize that an hour had almost passed.

You just hoped that the next weeks wouldn’t feel like the last hour has.


	11. Obligatory Valentine's Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is.... short.
> 
> But imagine, if you will, that Hank is a horrible accomplice to distract you a little from the two weeks between implantation and your first blood test.
> 
> Because that's what happens.

The first week after the appointment was… difficult.

Every unexpected twist in your sleep had Connor’s attention, tracing his fingers over your stomach with soft touches, even if it didn’t help. He’d become more clingy, trying to watch over your every move.

After only the first two days, you’d noticed his lingering whenever you’d leave the room, especially if he believed you were going to the bathroom.

Eventually, after hearing his footsteps outside the closed door, you had to intervene.  
  
“Connor.”

He stood still, hoping his lack of movement would convince you that he hadn’t been standing off to the side of the door.

“I know you’re still there,” you called out, turning the door handle to find his back pressed against the wall, eyes wrenched shut. You held back a smirk, grabbing his hand and leading him to the bed, pressing his shoulders until he sat, guiding his face to yours.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, finally making eye contact.

“I know, but we need to talk about this.” You cupped his cheek, running your thumb over his freckles. “Are you worried about the embryos?” He nodded, and you sighed. “I am too. Why do you think I keep going to the bathroom?”

He trailed his eyes downward again, uncertain. “I’ve been watching your pulse and blood pressure… You’ve been in so much pain for me, I don’t want it to be for nothing,” he admitted. His face twisted, eyes searching for something to focus on. “I-- I don’t want you to hurt.”

You smirked, sitting down beside him. “That’s just part of the deal.” You took his hand and placed it over your abdomen, thinking back to the top of Cyberlife Tower. “Bringing a baby into the world is one of the most painful things a person can experience, Connor. A little discomfort and pain right now is nothing.”

He slid closer, wrapping his free hand around your back. “That’s not entirely what I meant,” he whispered, letting you lean over into his chest, “I just don’t know how to help you right now.”

“You already are. Just… let me piss in peace, please.” You smiled, feeling a low laugh in response from him. “And remember that I’m just as lost as you are right now.”

* * *

Connor had a very hard time not moving around during the second week.

It may have been nerves about the embryos, but a quick glance at the calendar quickly told you otherwise.

It was your first Valentine’s Day together. “Together” together, as Hank so eloquently put it, when he warned you about the not-at-all-suspicious date invitation.

“You’re already having his kid, so I don’t see why he’s so fucking worried.” He laughed, turning towards you with an odd smile. “He just wants everything to be perfect, because he doesn’t want to disappoint you. I think it’s kind of gross.”

“Hank!” You squinted across the desk, knowing he was just joking, but still a little concerned. “I can’t drink, eat fish, or do any kind of vigorous activity, so what exactly can I do to celebrate?”

“Let him cook you a delicious dinner, give you a ton of flowers, and dance in your kitchen?” Hank smiled, turning his attention away from you. “That’s just how I’d celebrate if I was him.”

* * *

The night was… perfect.

When returning from work, you realized Hank was right. There were just one thing that he’d conveniently left out.

* * *

 

“Hey, Hank?” You yelled upon walking into work the next day.

“Yeah?” His voice cracked, realizing the matching smiles on yours and Connor’s faces. “Oh no, don’t you-”

“Thanks for leaving out the part where Connor literally filled my entire house with flowers. Here’s your cut.” You set the giant vase of multicolored roses on his desk, smiling over the bundle of petals.

"Whoa, that is  _not_ what I meant. Did you buy a whole florist's shop?" Hank stood up, staring at the sheer size of the arrangement. "I can't take care of this!"

You smiled, looking over at Connor before returning the glance. "I hope you're not allergic. Plus... that's only the first of them. I have two more marked for you back at home."

Hank grumbled, sitting back down in defeat. "At least they're not all red."


	12. Needed Elsewhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the end notes, for an explanation and authors note!

“Hey, kid…” Hank started, catching your sleeve during an early morning of work, “got a minute?”

You paused, smiling. “I can make one, what’s up?”

He glanced around, making sure the precinct was in typical working order - Officers Chen and Miller were shooting rubber bands at Detective Reed, making Hank smirk at their antics. He tilted his head to the side, lifting his hand and motioning for you to follow him, only to lead you to the stairwell.

“I don’t want you to hear this from anyone else,” he started, turning the corner down another flight of stairs, “so I’m telling you first.”

“Okay,” you followed, realizing now that you had no idea where he was leading you, “is there something wrong?”

He fished out a key, manually unlocking an older door, to reveal a series of older display boards hung against the walls, old bookshelves and a desk resting below them. “Here, take a seat.”

You sighed, pulling out the chair, wondering just what the lieutenant could possibly drag you down here for. “Seriously, Hank? What’s with the theatrics?” You tucked a loose strand of hair aside, watching as he pulled a tablet from one of the shelves, setting it before you.

“Just… read it.” He leaned against the desk, legs and arms crossed.

You unlocked the screen, watching it fill with an email, with an area highlighted.  
  
**_Pending assignment, CC: Reed, RK800_ **

**_File: 21139MCD.pdf_ **

**_Major Crimes requesting assistance with investigation. Hand new and partial cases over to Chen and Miller, assign as needed for two weeks. More details to come, non-negotiable._ **

**_Fowler._ **

“An assignment?” You zoomed out of the email, trying to get a better look at the full contents, but only to have the tabled snatched away.

“Details aren’t out yet, but Fowler pulled me in this morning. Told us we’re taking over an investigation from Major Crimes.” He scratched his neck, trying to put the next phrase delicately. “An anti-android extremist group has been kidnapping androids with human partners, and holding them for ransom. An android body was found overnight, and they think it’s one of the victims.”

You felt your stomach drop, knowing now why he wanted to talk in private. “So… what does this mean?”

“We have to go on scene, but I wanted you to tell you for a reason.” He paused, gently placing his hand on your upper arm to emphasize. “Fowler told me we’re in for the long haul.”

You wiped at the tears pricking your eyes, cursing under your breath at your hormones. You just couldn’t help but to think that this wasn’t just any case.“T-Thanks for telling me, Hank.”

He gave you a reassuring look, putting the tablet under his arm as he started to leave the room. “Don’t tell anyone I told you, though. It’s still under wraps outside the precinct, but I wanted you to know.” He paused at the door, unsure of whether to say his next thought, but deciding to say it regardless. “Do you need a hug or something?”

You smiled, wiping your hands on your shirt in an effort to get rid of the tears. “No thanks, Hank. I think I can handle this one.” You followed him out the door, and turned as he paused to close it behind you.

“Oh thank god,” he teased, locking the door once again, “Connor’s already a little aggressive about people being close to you right now as it is.”  
  
You wiped your nose with the sleeve of your shirt, starting up the stairs with Hank at your side. “Yeah, I know… he’s probably up there wondering where we are. He wouldn’t even let me go to the bathroom without following me to the door at first.”

He laughed at that, one of the more genuine laughs you’d seen from him. “Sounds like our Connor.”

Hank opened the door, allowing you to enter first, before following. You saw Connor glancing up to you both, and gave him a wave before turning to walk towards your own department.

* * *

Hank didn’t waste any time returning to his desk, mentally preparing for the possible onslaught to come from his partner, who was currently glaring at him.

“If I didn’t know you that well, I’d be scared.” He said snidely, returning the tablet to his desk as he sat.

Connor lightened his expression slightly, pulling his chair closer to the desk, and speaking in harsh whispers. “Do I have to ask you what that was about? Or are you-”

“Tell you what, if you don’t figure it out within the next thirty minutes, I’ll tell you. I have to send the email, so I don’t get a strike for not following protocol again for your ass.” Hank smirked, turning to his computer terminal and preparing the official statement.

Connor turned away, considering his options. Bother Hank for answers, or focus on reports? With a blink, he decided to work instead, knowing Hank to be true to his word.

It only took a few minutes before a notification appeared on the interface, calling his attention from his current documents.

Hank’s smirk was visible in his periphery, standing to collect his coat. “There,” he remarked, turning to walk off to Captain Fowler’s office, “you should be able to figure it out now.”

Connor glanced up at the notification, pulling the email to the front and manually reading it. “New assignment, huh?” He whispered under his breath, despite not needing to.

Across the office, Gavin Reed stuck his hands in his hair, frustrated as yet another rubber band appeared beside him. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me...” he growled, turning to have another being shot at his face, gracing his cheek. “Tina! Cut that shit out!”

Officer Chen laughed, Chris giving her a quick high five in response to her near-miss. They turned back to their desks as the sound of Captain Fowler’s voice calling across the bullpen. “Chen, Miller, get back to work! Reed, grab Connor and c’mere!” The two officers jumped back into their desks at that, with Tina snickering at Gavin’s face as he was pulled from his computer.

Gavin gave her a quick gesture as he walked past with his back to the Captain, thankful that Fowler turned on the frosted glass filter and missed the middle finger entirely. Connor held the door open for Reed, who mumbled his thanks as they entered the office.

“Major Crimes handed down a case,” Fowler started, as Gavin sat beside Hank, with Connor hovering beside him, “and I need you three on it. I’ve sent you both the crucial files, but if you have to get more involved, Hank’s been given access to the old bullpen downstairs. This is a confidential investigation, so let’s keep it in the building.” He glanced up to Connor, before looking back down to files on his desk. “Prepare any cases in progress to be transferred, this might be your new main assignment.”

Hank turned to the others, arms crossed. “We’re gonna be on this case for a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sitting on this chapter for a while now, but I decided that I had to put it up before the pregnancy really gets rolling. Don't worry, this isn't a total switch in story dynamics, but rather a side-plot to fill up time between all the fun stuff pregnancy brings.
> 
> Now, I have to tell you all something. I stopped writing in September, and the reason why is too complicated for a 5000 character limit end note, so I'm writing a full note if you're interested. For here, though... I wanted to apologize, and thank those of you who are still with me after all this time. I'm so grateful for all of the love and support I've gotten. I don't know how to thank you all for 8500+ hits!


	13. Loss and Gain

You were working when you first felt it.

There were so many piles of paperwork on your desk that you barely had any room to move, knocking files out of order with every move of your wrist. Add in the fact that the room was a few degrees warmer than your comfort level, and that your boss had a tendency to steal the half-decent desk chair if she showed up before you, it was completely overwhelming. You sighed, stretching your fingers out in an effort to relieve some of the stress in your hands, only to hear the clang of a binder clip hitting the floor in return.

“Damn it,” you turned in your chair, leaning over to pick up the wild organizer, sitting back up with a huff.

There it was.

The small twinge of discomfort in your stomach.

You shifted your weight in the chair, thinking one of your muscles didn’t appreciate the angle of your bending. But it didn’t go away, the cramp only got worse, sending the small hairs on the back of your neck standing on edge.

You needed to keep calm, this could be nothing. You held onto the desk, trying to keep your breaths steady, only to find your instincts taking over.

You turned to walk on unsteady legs, holding a hand towards the wall as you walked in case, the other hand cupping the source of pain, just off to the side of your belly button.

You reached for the door, only to wince as the cramping continued with the slight movement, throwing the glass behind your hip as you leaned into the door frame.

Scanning the room, you felt your stomach drop, not finding Connor’s back where it normally is, and noticing that Hank’s desk was also absent.

You called out to the uniformed man turning the corner off to your right, thankful to find Chris was in no hurry. “Do you know where Connor is?”

He shook his head, approaching you with a hand held out for stability. “Haven’t seen him all day - are you okay?”

You gritted your teeth, taking his assistance as you walked to the nearby bench. “Not sure, cramps,” you pointed, “right here.”

His eyes widened, sitting beside you as he pulled his radio down. “RK800 Mo- Connor, ten-twenty?” He mouthed out ‘location’ after releasing the button.

A moment of static passed before he spoke up. “Returning to station, ETA two minutes.” You nodded, thankful that the pain subsided some.

“Ten-four, over.” Chris clicked the radio back onto his shoulder, looking over your face.

“Thank you,” you took a shallow breath, still holding your lower stomach, “I’m okay until he gets back. It’s just a little scary.”

“No problem,” he smiled, “I remember when my wife was pregnant, she worried about every pinch. You need anything?”

“No, thank you, though.” You reached for your phone, surprised as it started ringing in your hand. “It’s him. Go, get back to work!” You teased, answering the call.

“Chris always forgets to use his ten codes,” worry filled Connor’s voice, “is everything okay at the station?”

“I don’t want you to worry, but I’m cramping.” You bit your lip, hearing his tone change immediately.

“Too late… we’re almost back, I’ll keep the car running.”

“I’ll meet you at the door.”

You stood up, trying to hide the discomfort on your face as you shuffled towards the exit.

It only took about twenty seconds for Hank’s car to brake in front of you, and for Hank himself to hop out of the passenger seat and help you in. “Here,” he handed the seatbelt, before closing the door and hopping in back, “I’ll leave a message with your boss.”

“Thanks,” you closed the buckle, Connor’s hand reaching from the wheel across to your abdomen, “you’re parked illegally,” you pointed out.

“Who are they gonna call? We are the cops,” Hank retorted, clicking his own seat belt in.

Connor’s eyebrows furrowed, raising his hand to change gears. “Besides, this could be an emergency, for all they know.” The car pulled forward, and his hand hesitated above the siren switch, before lowering back down to the wheel. “And who’s gonna ticket me, exactly?”

You eyed the small smirk on his face. Even in moments of panic, he still managed to be smug.

* * *

 

Once you were settled in the exam room, you noticed Hank kept glancing over the pamphlets hung on the wall, the facade of comfort slowly crumbling with each moment of awkward silence.

You turned Connor’s hand in yours, dragging your finger over his palm. “S-A-Y S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G,” you spelled, glancing over to Hank with hopes that he’d sense the tension in Hank’s expression.

“Hey Hank?” The older man turned away from the wall, sitting straighter in response. “Did you hear back from Major Crimes yet?”

Hank huffed, shaking his head. “I haven’t gotten permission from Fowler to forward you and Gavin the file yet, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Oof, I want to know how many cases I can give to Tina.”

“Connor, please don’t say ‘oof’ in a doctor’s office.” Hank jokingly scolded, only to earn a smile from both of you. “Gavin’s gotta stop mentioning memes in front of you - it’s bad enough that he’s been making a list with Tina and Chris of shit they want to teach Connor’s replacement.”

You squinted at Hank, who noticed and then looked back at the android mildly frustrated. “You didn’t tell her, did you?!”

“I didn’t want to tell her until we knew it was official, Dad!” Connor’s grin was still as shit-eating as ever, laughing while Hank swatted at the back of his head angrily. “Fine! I didn’t want to tell her, because I thought there was prank potential in it. I’m sorry!”

Just then, the door opened, and you sighed with relief.

“Hello! I’m Dr. Meyer,” she shook your hand, carefully turning to introduce herself to Connor and Hank, “and I’m the only fertility specialist on call tonight.” She smiled brightly, adjusting the hairband holding her thick curls away from her face, before reaching up and getting hand sanitizer from the wall. “Your doctors didn’t send your records over, but my charge nurse told me that you’re an IVF patient?”

She reached around the table, and motioning for your hand before placing the pulse oximeter over your finger. “Yes, I’m waiting for my first appointment after embryo transfer. I go in on Friday morning.”

She looked over your vitals on the tablet she carried, before pulling her stethoscope from her pocket. “Can you lift your shirt for me?” She slid the stethoscope over your abdomen, pausing just beside your belly button.

“Is there anything wrong?” Connor spoke up, and you nearly laughed, knowing that there wasn’t much she could determine with just a stethoscope.

“You’re not currently cramping, right?” She spoke up, mouth in a line as you nodded. “Okay… I’m going to get the ultrasound, I’ll be right back.”   


She walked out the room, coat trailing her as she went, only to pop back in the door a few moments later. “This should help me see a little into what your uterus is doing, but I have to warn you.” She pulled out the small bottle of gel, pulling the wand off the side. “This is going to be a little cold, and I might not get anything just yet. How many did you have implanted?” She held her tablet in her arm, screen ready to display the ultrasound.

“Just two.” She spread the gel on your skin, and you jumped a bit at just how cold it actually was. She drug the transistor through the gel, looking closely at the waves in the image.

There wasn’t much activity, so she moved it a few inches before seeing the small dot of fuzz in the right space. “Ah, there it is.” She turned the monitor to you, showing off the spot. “That’s one of your embryos, and all the little fibers holding it in place. It’s too small to see anything yet, but there’s one still hanging on.”

She pulled the wand away, handing you a paper towel. “So, what does that mean?” You asked, wiping away the gel, confused about her calmness.

“I found one embryo, and there wasn’t much movement with your uterus. I believe the other embryo dislodged, likely from lack of proper blood supply.” She huffed, wrapping her stethoscope around her neck. “The good news is that the other embryo looks perfectly snug, and is attached pretty well from what I could see. I’d advise you to keep on light duty until your doctors say you’re in the clear, no vigorous activity, and just go to your appointment as scheduled. By the way, congratulations, I hope your pregnancy goes smoothly!”

And with that, she was gone.

You sighed, realizing that it was almost six at night, of course she was in a hurry to run out the doors. “So… since we took your car, I guess you’re gonna have to drive us. Where are we going for dinner, Hank?”

“What?”

“You heard the lady, I’m officially eating for two. What are we having to eat?” Hank sighed, looking over to Connor, who just shrugged his shoulders.

“I have to give it to you, you two are a match made in hell sometimes.”


End file.
